A Life Update And A Lesson Learned

A Life Update And A Lesson Learned

Hey everyone, sorry for the long-time-absence. I promise that nothing has been wrong, other than my sheer busyness and procrastination. Nonetheless, there has been a lot that has been going right lately, and I wanted to share it with you guys.

Recently, I have made a career change and I feel really good about it.

I have realized that God is calling me to become a teacher.

Interestingly enough, this was my original plan all through high school—and truth be told, I’m honestly not sure the desire ever went away completely. I watched shows like Glee and imagined how cool it would be to leave an impact on the lives of others—the way Mr. Shcue does in his Glee club.

I also thought back to my own high school years (which honestly aren’t that long ago) and how much the classes I was in affected the person I am today for the better. I went into high school shy and insecure, but left confident and with a group of friends better than I could have ever imagined. I would love to the chance to play a small part in helping other students grow—and create the kind of classes that they’ll remember for years. Though you can make a positive difference in journalism as well, I realized that as an extravert, I really need a career where I’m around people—as I’m pretty sure I’ll go crazy otherwise.

Since I’ve made this change, I’ve been feeling much better about life and the direction that it’s taking. Furthermore, I realized a mistake that I made for most of my freshman year of college—I realized that you can’t live your life by another person’s script.

Because I was in the midst of such a drastic change, I fell into a pattern of looking to others for what I should do in life. I wanted some kind of direction or path from those who have gone before me.

In doing this, I failed to see the beauty in my own story, and my own unique journey.

I switched to journalism because one of my favorite authors became the successful fiction writer I wanted to be through that career. I was down on myself for not yet having a license to drive on my own—when I was sure I’d be further ahead by now. I felt like something was wrong with me because I didn’t have a boyfriend (or an interest in getting one, for that matter) when literally everyone I knew started dating—even though I was in the process of getting over a really long-term crush.

Now, with that year behind me, and a few lessons learned, I’ve realized that my story isn’t the same as everyone else’s and neither is yours.God has different plans for each one of us, and that’s OK. We should never copy someone else’s path because it worked for them—we have to find our own path, and stay connected to that still small voice in the process.

As much as I sometimes long for a step-by-step checklist, life doesn’t usually work like that—and sometimes we have to find our story one piece at a time—trusting that God is writing something beautiful with our lives.

If we do that, than we might just be on the right path after all.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Nice to have you back Courtney! I wish you success in your schooling. It’s so true that everyone is unique–I still don’t have a driver’s license and I’m 23! Life is a journey and you can figure things out as you go. 🙂

Very well said Courtney. I am now in a bible study and a conversation piece that was asked among the group was something along the lines of: “How would you describe the Bible to someone who never read it?” and I answered with this: “The Bible is like a road map. All of the road blocks and obstacles that we face are all part of this journey that we are on.” All of the people that are truly your friends are found on this journey and they are there for a reason. I wish you the best of luck for the schooling needed to meet the requirements that teachers are required to have. 🙂

I almost missed my call to ministry as my mother was trying to live vicariously through me. I almost went to school to be a musician. I still use my musical talents, but I am much more fulfilled as a pastor. I know God will use you greatly to impart truth to many.

That’s really interesting Matthew! I think sometimes it can be so easy to miss our call – in a world where we’re bombarded with about a billion career options, it can be easy to overlook the one thing we’re really meant to do. I appreciate your encouragement and your comment – it’s always great hearing from you! I know God is using you to bless many people as a pastor at your church!😃